Home Original page

Flash: Flashpoint

Barry Allen wakes up to discover he is in an altered timeline in which Citizen Cold is Central City's greatest hero, his mother Nora (deceased in his own timeline) is alive, his father [[Henry Allen (Flashpoint Time

Flashpoint is a reboot event that ends the continuity of New Earth and starts both Prime Earth and The New 52. Changes come about in the timeline after the Flash goes back in time to save his mother's life. The main narrative was published in a five-issue miniseries, Flashpoint (Volume 2), written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert, but the alternate timeline was explored in a large number of tie-in series and one-shots.

History

Barry Allen wakes up to discover he is in an altered timeline in which Citizen Cold is Central City's greatest hero, his mother Nora (deceased in his own timeline) is alive, his father Henry, died of a heart attack three years ago (instead of in prison), and that the Flash, the Justice League and Superman do not exist.

In Gotham City, Batman throws Yo-Yo off a building before being confronted by Cyborg. Cyborg and Batman have a conference with a group of super-heroes to discuss how the battle between Aquaman's Atlanteans and Wonder Woman's Amazons has caused massive death and destruction in Western Europe, with the prospect of America being similarly endangered. The heroes cannot work together to find a solution, and the meeting is disbanded. Barry Allen drives to the Batcave where he is attacked by Batman, who is revealed to be Thomas Wayne, who took the mantle after the death of his son.

In the flooded remains of Paris, Deathstroke the Terminator captains a pirate ship in search of his daughter. He, along with his crew (Sonar, the Icicle, and Clayface) are attacked by Emperor Aquaman, who stabs Deathstroke in the chest. Sonar is able to remove a piece of the trident from Deathstroke's chest and heal him. Back at Wayne Manor, Barry tries to explain to Thomas about his secret identity as the Flash and his relationship to Bruce Wayne. Barry's memory begins to spontaneously realign itself to the altered timeline and Barry learns that the world of Flashpoint is not an alternate dimension, but his own. Barry's ring ejects Professor Zoom the Reverse-Flash's costume and cause Barry to believe that Eobard Thawne is responsible for changing history. Barry decides to re-create the accident that gave him his powers in a bid to undo the damage caused by Thawne, but the initial attempt causes him to be badly burnt.

In London, Steve Trevor is waiting at a rendezvous point for Lois Lane but is attacked by Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Wonder Woman catches him by the neck with her Lasso of Truth and begins interrogating him. He explains that he was hired to extract Lois Lane from New Themyscira because she was sent to gather information on the Amazons for Cyborg. The U.S. President informs Cyborg that Steve Trevor sent a signal to the Resistance, but was intercepted because of a traitor among the heroes that Cyborg tried to recruit. Cyborg is relieved of duty as the Element Woman sneaks into the headquarters. Meanwhile, in New Themyscira, Lois Lane encounters the Resistance. A second lightning strike grants Barry Allen his powers, healing his injuries, allowing him to re-create his costume. Barry's research of past records of newspaper clippings leads him to conclude that Thawne deliberately changed the timeline to prevent the formation of the Justice League. He also learns of a rocket carrying the infant Kal-El that crashed into Metropolis instead of Kansas. Kal-El was taken by Project: Superman, and named Subject 1. The Flash and Batman meet with Cyborg and agree to join the cause to stop Wonder Woman and Aquaman, and the three go in search of "Subject 1". In the project headquarters they discover a pale, weakened version of Superman. Their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of guards and Superman flies off in the midst of battle, leaving the Flash, Batman, and Cyborg in the sewers to be rescued by the Element Woman. The Flash's memories begin to change much more drastically. In order to prevent him from forgetting the original timeline completely, Batman gives him an anti-epileptic to slow down his brain's electrical activity.

The President announces Cyborg's failure to unite the world's super-heroes and the U.S. entry into the Atlantean-Amazon war. In Fawcett City, Billy Batson feels distressed about trying to intervene after being easily defeated by Wonder Woman, before resolving to put a stop to the war. The Flash, Batman, Cyborg, and the Element Woman break down the door in need of the Marvel Family's help, and Batman asks Billy to use his lighting to prevent the Flash's memories from changing even further. Billy sees the memories of his New Earth counterpart. The group hears of the failed air assault on England due to the Amazons' Invisible Plane air force. Hal Jordan is the first casualty, and a giant Atlantean-generated tidal wave threatens the rest of New Themyscira. The Flash tells Batman that he cannot just stand by as people die, since if he fails to stop Thawne, the world will destroy itself. Despite some reservations, Batman joins the Flash as the group heads off to New Themyscira, where they are joined en route by the Enchantress. Wonder Woman and Aquaman are fighting one-on-one until the Flash and his team arrive. The Marvel Family transform into Captain Thunder, and attack Wonder Woman. They appear to be winning until the Enchantress reveals herself as the Amazon spy and uses her magic to restore the Marvel Family to their mortal forms. Penthesilea kills Billy Batson, causing a massive explosion that cripples the opposing forces. In the wake of the devastation, Professor Zoom the Reverse-Flash appears in front of the Flash.

Thawne reveals to Barry that the Flashpoint timeline was actually created by Barry himself, after he travelled back in time to stop him from killing his mother. Barry pulled the entire Speed Force into himself to stop Thawne, which altered the timeline. Thawne resets Barry's internal vibrations, enabling him to remember this. According to Thawne, these actions transformed him into a living paradox, no longer requiring Barry to exist, and allowing him to kill the Flash without erasing his own existence. Thawne continues to taunt Barry with this knowledge until he is stabbed and killed from behind by Batman. As the fight continues, Subject 1 arrives and begins to aid the heroes, but Thomas still insists that Barry put history back to normal to undo the millions of deaths that have resulted from the Atlantean-Amazon war. Meanwhile, Cyborg detects seismic activity which he claims could destroy the world and waves start to approach.

Now knowing the point of divergence, the Flash resumes his attempts to restore the timeline. Before he enters the timestream, Thomas thanks him for giving his son a second chance and gives Barry a letter addressed to Bruce. Barry then meets his mother, and reveals his secrets and his inadvertent role in creating the Flashpoint Universe by saving her life. Barry bids a tearful farewell to her and Nora Allen also accepts her fate, acknowledging that she will be reunited with her husband in the afterlife when Barry succeeds. Travelling back in time, Barry merges with his younger counterpart during the attempt to stop Thawne, inadvertently creating another timeline which slightly differs from either the Flashpoint or the original universe. Barry then wakes up in a similar manner to the beginning of Flashpoint. Believing that everything is over, Barry remembers Thomas' letter and gives it to Bruce, who is still the Batman in this timeline. Bruce is deeply touched by his father's sacrifice to ensure his own life, and is grateful to Barry for informing him of the events that transpired before the timeline was apparently restored to normal. In the wake of current events, a new DC Universe begins.

Issues

The Road to Flashpoint

Core Issues

Whatever Happened to Gotham City?

Whatever Happened to the World's Greatest Super Villains?

Whatever Happened to the Aliens?

Whatever Happened to Science & Magic?

Whatever Happened to Europe?

Everything You Know Will Change in a Flash

He Never Got the Ring

One-Shots

Crossover Issues

Notes

Links and References

  1. ↑ Action Comics #1008
Crisis
Events Crisis on Multiple Earths | Crisis on Infinite Earths | Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! | Infinite Crisis | Final Crisis | Flashpoint | Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths
Zero Hour Related Events End of an Era
Countdown to Infinite Crisis Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 | The OMAC Project | Rann-Thanagar War | Villains United | Day of Vengeance
Infinite Crisis Aftermath 52 | One Year Later | World War III | Battle for Blüdhaven
Countdown to Final Crisis Death of the New Gods | Salvation Run | Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer | Countdown to Adventure | Countdown to Mystery | Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists | Countdown: Arena
Final Crisis Related Events Final Crisis | Final Crisis: Revelations | Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds | Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
Flashpoint Related Events Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Road to Dark Crisis Infinite Frontier | Justice League Incarnate
See Also Identity Crisis (crossovers) | Heroes in Crisis | Dark Nights: Death Metal | Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossovers | Zero Hour Crossovers | Infinite Crisis Crossovers | Final Crisis Crossovers | Dark Crisis Crossovers | Convergence